Cedar Valley Arboretum Engagement

April 20, 2023

Hallie + Olivia

When Hallie & Olivia each swiped right, they may not have guessed that they were about to match with their future wife.

However, it didn’t take long for them to realize they wanted to spend forever together. After strongly considering a secret courthouse wedding, they decided against it.

Instead, Hallie came home from work one night to find that Olivia had spelled “marry me?” with candles and rose petals.

The following day, as they watched the sunrise together, Hallie proposed to Olivia with a journal of letters she had been writing to her throughout their relationship.

“She makes me excited for all of the good and bad days. Olivia makes me want to experience as much of life as possible.” – Hallie

The two began planning a wedding where friends and family would surround them—a day to celebrate their love with the people who matter most in their lives.

Hallie + Olivia’s Cedar Valley Arboretum engagement session in Waterloo, Iowa.

We got to shoot at three locations for this session: Hallie & Olivia’s home (with their furbabies!), downtown Waterloo, and the Cedar Valley Arboretum. It was a lot of fun having so much variety for their engagement photos. And the sky was so freaking pretty at the end of the night! Iowa was just showing off that night, and I’m here for it. 😍

couple in living room with pets engagement photos

3 words to describe Olivia, by Hallie | hard-working, supportive, goofy

in-home engagement session with pets

3 words to describe Hallie, by Olivia | caring, compassionate, understanding

at home engagement session with cat and dogs

What is something you both have in common?

Hallie: “We both LOVE dogs.”

Olivia: “We love animals! Especially dogs.”

matching engagement rings, couple in downtown waterloo

waterloo iowa engagement photos

I knew I wanted to spend forever with my love when…

Olivia: “I don’t know that there was a specific moment when I knew, but over time I realized that I always felt at home. She always makes me feel safe. :)”

downtown waterloo iowa engagement photos

I knew I wanted to spend forever with my love when…

Hallie: “She made me feel excited about life again. Before Olivia, I had struggled a lot with my mental health and didn’t feel very hopeful about the future. She made me excited to experience even the mundane parts of life again. I knew that I wanted to spend forever with her because she made me excited for all of the good and bad days. Olivia makes me want to experience as much of life as possible.”

What is a fun fact/something people might not guess about your fiancé?

Hallie: “Olivia makes the best quesadillas. She named herself the “Quesadilla Master.”

Olivia: “Hallie cries about EVERYTHING.”

What is something that’s totally different about the two of you?

Hallie: “The way our minds work. As a sociology major, I think about things in complex ways, and she thinks about things with more simplicity. It helps us balance each other out and opens both of us up to different perspectives.”

Olivia: “Hallie thinks about things very complexly. I do not.”

cedar valley arboretum engagement photos engagement photos in wildflower field at cedar valley arboretum

What part of the wedding are you looking forward to most?

Hallie: “Not a specific part, but dedicating an entire day to celebrating our love with the people we love most!”

Olivia: “Sharing our love with everyone we love! And being married to the best person ever!!”

These two are so fun! I can’t wait to kick off my wedding season with them this Saturday at Cedar County Fairgrounds in Tipton, Iowa.

If these photos resonated with you, & you’re getting married in Iowa, Illinois, or Wisconsin, click over to my contact form & drop me a line.

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563.265.1093

hello@catherinefurlin.com

Located in Bellevue, Iowa
Serving Eastern Iowa +
Madison, WI + Galena, IL

Modern wedding photography & family documentary sessions in Dubuque Iowa, the Quad Cities, and beyond. Located in Bellevue. Documenting love stories in the everyday moments & the life changing ones. Focused on creating honest images.